Ms. Crystal Johnson’s 3rd grade class won a zoom call with the author of Camilla La Magica Makes Tamales and a copy of the book. The author shared her story of being a chef from San Antonio as well as cooking with love and tamales with her grandmother growing up. Ms. Johnson’s class did so well, were engaged, and asked great questions. Freedom Elementary was so proud of them and Ms. Johnson is thankful to Ms. Arellano for entering her in this contest.
The Mexican tradition of gathering hands and hearts to create bundles of comfort food in the form of heaps and heaps of tamales is a beloved custom, but there aren’t many kids books sharing in the warm magic of tamaladas. In Mexican households, everyone from the kids to abuela has a role in making the food, whether it’s prepping the masa, filling the husks or lucking out and serving as taste-tester. Sisters Chef Cariño and Paloma Cortez noticed the lack of culturally relevant kids books, too. Like many nineties kids, the sisters grew up reading Gary Soto’s Too Many Tamales. The sisters, who are third generation family members of La Familia Cortez, the group that owns Mi Tierra, Mi Familia, La Margarita and Pico de Gallo, added a new book to the choices and Ms. Johnson’s class benefitted.